1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an apparatus for connecting a strut for use in a hand rail for stairs and at least one horizontal member such as, for example, upper chord members, lower chord members and top rails or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As an apparatus for connecting a strut and a horizontal member, there is known, for example, the apparatus described in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model Application NO. SHO 62-194841.
Stating in brief, this prior art apparatus is arranged such that a horizontal member bracket is fixedly secured by means of screws to a strut bracket mounted on each of side faces of a strut, a horizontal member is fitted from above to the horizontal member bracket and fixedly secured to the latter by means of screws, and then a cover member is fitted from above to the connecting portion of the strut bracket and the horizontal member to cover it in such a way that no clearance is created between the strut and the horizontal member.
Such an apparatus for connecting a strut and at least one horizontal member is suitable for use in connecting the strut and the horizontal member at right angles to each other. However, in case the horizontal member is connected to the strut to each other at an angle which is not a right angle, as in the case of hand rails for stairs or the like, this apparatus is not applicable because angular adjustments cannot be made. Furthermore, since a cover member is fitted from above to the strut bracket and the horizontal member, if the angle between the strut and the horizontal member is not a right angle, the horizontal member cannot be connected to the strut.
In particular, as in the case of hand rails for stairs, the work accuracy of stairway is generally poor, and in most cases a deviation occurs between the actual angle between the strut and the horizontal member and the designed value thus requiring adjustments to the angle between the strut and horizontal member to be made at work sites. Therefore, the above-mentioned apparatus is not applicable to such cases.